, and I'll row you about among the crocs."

"I'm not going to sit in Sam's pan or anybody else's pan," cried Ned.
"I want to lie down and rest. That elephant has shaken me all to
pieces, and I'm so sore; I'm just as if I had been caned all over."

"Perhaps you have," said Frank, laughingly. "Your uncle has been giving
it to you. I say though, seriously, I'll ask the rajah to give you a
set of native togs. You'd find them so cool and comfortable."

"And look just such a guy as you do."

"You want me to punch your head, Ned. Guy, indeed!"

"Do. Try."

"Not I. Ill-tempered beggar, that's what you are. I say, there are no
guards watching us. Let's go and have a game somewhere."

"Yes, a game at coffee and cushions," said Ned. "Here we are.--I say,
Hamet, can you give us some coffee, quick?"

The Malay was busy arranging the rifle and guns which had been used that
day, and he nodded; but, instead of hurrying to prepare the meal, he
laid his hand on Ned's arm.

"Something wrong?" he said. "Trouble?"

"Oh, I don't know," replied Ned, carelessly; "nothing much. Why do you
ask?"

"Hamet think so," he said, his peculiar pronunciation sounding strange.
"The master want to go away back down the river?"

"Eh? Yes, but we can't. They have taken the boat and the men."

"Yes; but Hamet knows where now. Always been try to find boat and men."

"But you couldn't find them. My uncle can't, and you don't know, do
you, Frank?"

"No; they took them all right away somewhere. But never mind about
them. You can have the rajah's boats when you like, and you don't want
to go away."

"How do you know?" replied Ned, thoughtfully. "We might want to go
perhaps all in a hurry, and it would be handy to know where our own boat
and men are."

"Oh, bother! Don't be shabby, and talk about going. We've had no fun
at all hardly yet. Where's that coffee?"

"But it would be handy to know where the boat is kept in case of there
being trouble; and I know my uncle has been annoyed at its being so
hidden away."

"Yes; the master angry," assented Hamet. "My boat--my men."

"And you know where it is?" said Frank.

"Yes; one of my men came and told me to-night. They all want to go back
home, and they are kept at work."

"Yes!" exclaimed Ned, "we ought to know."

"Very well then," cried Frank, rather ill-humouredly; "he knows where
the boat is, and when you've done collecting, and we've had no end more
trips, you ca